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USDA Web site lists equine disease data

Posted Nov. 1, 2006

The National Surveillance Unit, part of the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, has developed a Web site that provides information on equine health monitoring and surveillance.

The purpose of the Web site, which is available at www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahss/equine, is to share up-to-date equine disease surveillance information with veterinarians, trainers, animal health officials, and horse owners. Diseases and viruses covered include vesicular stomatitis, equine infectious anemia, West Nile virus, and eastern and western equine encephalitis. The Web site features information sheets on each disease and interactive maps showing test results. Links to related resources such as animal movement requirements are also available.

"The Web site provides a method to further improve the dissemination of accurate and timely animal health surveillance information as it pertains to horses," said USDA-APHIS spokesperson Teresa Howes.

The Web site was developed in response to requests from the U.S. Animal Health Association's Infectious Diseases of Horses Committee and the American Horse Council. The two groups requested a Web site that reported equine disease surveillance conducted by APHIS Veterinary Services.